Frank Wright 8th-grader wins county spelling bee
El CENTRO – Daniel Lemus, an eighth-grader at Frank Wright Middle School in Imperial, emerged from a field of 37 competitors Thursday evening as Imperial County’s 2022 spelling champion.
The 17th annual Imperial County Office of Education Spelling Bee was held at Southwest High School’s Jimmie Cannon Theater.
“I was nervous, but excited,” said Lemus. “I entered knowing this was going to be a fun experience. I noticed others were nervous, too, so we were all nervous together.”
Student participation was open to students younger than 16 in grades 8 or below. Students in Thursday’s competition were either the winner or runner up in their own schools’ spelling bees.
This year’s county spelling bee returned to an in-person format for the first time since 2019, although the event was also available to view YouTube.
Lemus said he “consumed a lot of media” in preparation for this year’s spelling bee. He said he also got a lot of help from his sister.
“They gave me a list of words that could be used in the competition,” he said. “I studied those words in the spelling bee format. She would say the word, I would say it back, and spell it here. Then we would review the word.”
Although Lemus’ final word, posthaste, wasn’t a particularly tricky one compared to some that turn up at these competitions, Lemus admitted the weight of the moment added to the degree of difficulty.
“With all the nervousness, I had to think a little bit about the word,” he said, “and I took some time to make sure I knew what the word was, and could spell it correctly.”
Cheers erupted in the auditorium after Lemus got through it and was declared the winner.
“I would like to thank all of those who came out to support me, to my teachers, friends, and family,” he said.
It was a very grateful experience, and I now get to represent the Imperial Valley at a national level.”
This year’s prizes included a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged,
a one-year membership to Britannica Online Premium, The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a 2021 U.S. Mint Proof Set, a spelling bee trophy and a trip to Washington, D.C., with one parent to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.
This was Lemus’ final county spelling bee. His advice for future competitors: “Prepare, but do not wear yourself out. Have fun with the completion. Overall it should be a fun completion, and regardless of the outcome there is always an opportunity to try again later.”